


Lucky -- The If There's a God Who Can Save Me Christmas Special

by lizandletdie



Series: If There's a God Who Can Save Me [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Ball, Christmas, Victorian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 10:45:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2848106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizandletdie/pseuds/lizandletdie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belle is home safe, but it's hard to go about her daily life when her husband can barely stand to let her out of his sight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lucky -- The If There's a God Who Can Save Me Christmas Special

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas, guys! This is a scene I'd originally wanted to include in the main story and then I forgot so hey, it's a special now!
> 
> I'll be returning to my regular schedule once the holiday is over.
> 
> I hate that I have to do this, but apparently I do. If you're reading this fic anywhere besides AO3, it was posted without my consent and likely profited someone else. Please consider [donating](https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=CZNGXGNP4PRX4&lc=US&item_name=The%20Mantis%20Fund&currency_code=USD&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF%3abtn_donate_SM%2egif%3aNonHosted) or swinging by my Tumblr (standbyyourmantis) to let me know what you thought!

 If it hadn't been for Bae, neither Belle nor Rum would have bothered attending the winter ball. She'd just gotten back from the past and Rum still didn't quite feel up to discussing the things he'd seen during his trip to find her. They were still a little bruised as a pair – he was shadowing her in a way he'd never done before, and wrapping around her tightly as he slept as though he were afraid she'd be ripped away again if he left her alone for a second. The last thing either of them really wanted was to face the world yet.

However, Belle had been making headway with integrating them into the town's social life and (as she had pointed out to her husband) Bae was going to likely be marrying into one of those families in a few years' time. It could only be for the benefit of Bae and any future children that people stopped thinking of Rum as the local madman and her as a fallen woman. Besides, it was the first year Bae was really old enough to attend the all night ball that would celebrate the winter solstice and he had been desperate to be allowed to go. She was fairly sure that without his son's begging, her husband would have been perfectly content to spend the rest of their lives together holed up in the house and licking his wounds.

Belle still wasn't entirely sure she really wanted to go either, but she knew they all should. The longer they put off the return to society, the harder it would be. Besides, she'd already told Mrs. Nolan they would go before the machine malfunctioned and canceling would have meant explaining why. So she put on a beautiful dress of wine colored velvet and clung to her husband's arm like a lifeline as they made their way into the mansion the mayor called home. She took a quick inventory of the three of them and was relieved that Bae hadn't outgrown his new coat yet – though she noted that he still tugged his sleeves out of nervous habit as he examined the crystal chandeliers, shimmering decorations and (she was forced to notice) some of the more artfully displayed decolletage that was on exhibit in the grand ballroom. She should probably scold him since she knew his father wouldn't, but he was young and you only had one first ball. She'd let him enjoy his evening (and maybe have a subtle conversation about talking to ladies' faces later).

It didn't take long for Bae to find a group of boys his own age and retreat to a corner of the room with them for conversation and nerves.

“Oh, Belle!” Mary Margaret called out cheerfully. “I'm so happy you two could make it.”

“Thank you for inviting us,” Belle replied. “It's a lovely party.”

She felt her husband still hovering at her elbow, still unwilling to trust himself to keep her safe if he strayed any further.

“And how have you been, Dr. Gold?” Mary Margaret said, turning the full sunshine of her personality towards Rum. “I don't think I've seen you since the harvest dance.”

“Yes,” he replied with a tight voice. “And how is your lovely daughter, by the way?”

“Emma is fine, thank you,” Mary Margaret replied just as cheerfully as before. “I'll be sure to let her know she was missed.”

Rum made a little noncommittal noise, and Belle was about to try to redirect the conversation when Mary Margaret was waved over by her husband, forcing her to excuse herself to handle whatever crisis had come up.

Belle turned toward her husband, who did look a little apologetic at least, with a grimace firmly in place on her face.

“I'm a bit over warm,” she said finally.

“Ah,” he replied. “Shall I escort you outside?”

“Please,” she said as she slipped her arm through his and let him lead her to the porch.

Once they were safely ensconced outside, she took her hand off his arm and instead slipped it into his warm palm.

“Are you alright?” she asked him. “You know I'm not going anywhere, right?”

“I'm fine,” he said gruffly. “And you've said that before.”

“So?”

“So I almost lost you,” he explained. “I promised to protect you and instead you could have died.”

“I was perfectly safe the entire time,” she reminded him. “You're the one who almost died.”

“That was pure coincidence that you weren't killed,” he said with a strange haunted sound to his voice that he had been adapting when discussing his travels. “There were all kinds of monsters, Belle.”

“Yes, but there are none _here_ ,” she replied, bringing her hand up to cup his face gently. “Here I'm among friends and we're safe. You can let your guard down.”

He turned his cheek into her palm, reaching his hand up to caress her wrist with his thumb gently.

“I just can't stand the thought of losing you,” he said finally. “I love you, Belle. I don't know how I'd go on without you.”

She bit her lip and felt the tears beginning to pool in her eyes at his words, but she couldn't stop them even as she saw him panic.

“What's wrong?” he asked nervously. “Did I do something?”

“No, it's nothing like that,” she hurried to reassure him. “It's just...you've never said that before. That you love me, I mean.”

“Oh,” he seemed to think about it for awhile. “Well, is that bad?”

“No,” she said softly. “I love you too.”

“That's good,” he replied. “I've been in love with you almost since the day I met you, I think. And all I could think of the entire time you were gone was how it had taken me so long to find you the first time and how would I be able to make it without you knowing what I was missing.”

She didn't know what to say to this admission, so instead she stood on her toes and pressed her lips gently to his. He slid an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. It was terribly scandalous, and if anyone saw them she was going to get a reputation for wantonness, but right now Belle could hardly care. She had a husband who loved her and who would brave monsters to bring her back to him. Had any woman ever been so very lucky?


End file.
